Health Ministry Leadership Change
Fifteen years ago, in 1993, the Lutheran Community Services established a task force to study the concept of Health Ministry with the goal of having local Lutheran congregations establish such a program. Pastor Swears asked me to serve on this task force. It met monthly for two years but made little progress. Both Tom and I felt there was a lot of potential to Health Ministry and we began meeting to plan for such a program. After Betty Setterquist’s husband, Bob, died of a brain tumor, we asked Betty to join us in the planning.
In 1995 Betty attended an intensive eight day Parish Nurse Training Program and became certified as a Parish Nurse and she and I met with church council to explain the Health Ministries concept and asked Council to make Health Ministries the topic of the fall leadership retreat. Fred Wendt, a member of Council at the time, expressed strong interest in the topic and was invited to join Pastor, Betty and Lee on the planning committee. Several other important steps were taken in 1995 and 1996:
1. A National Health Ministries consultant met with the planning committee and with Council
2. Three meetings were held with about 20 people in attendance at each one where the planning committee helped members understand what Health Ministry was all about and obtained ideas from the participants
3. Needs Assessment and Resources Assessment surveys were conducted
4. A small Pilot Study took place in the summer of 1996
5. Health Ministry was the topic for the second year in a row at the fall Leadership Conference
6. The president of the national Health Ministries Association spent several days with the planning committee and met with Council in addition to attending the Leadership Conference
7. In the January 1997 congregational meeting Betty Setterquist was appointed as Parish Nurse and the Health Ministry Planning Committee became the Health Ministry Committee with Lee Olson as Chair. The committee added additional members, all of whom volunteered to serve on it.
The planning and implementing of this program has been an act of love for me. It has been a rich, stimulating, rewarding and humbling experience. I want to thank the congregation for its support over the years as well as those who have served as committee members over this span of time. I want to extend special thanks to my friend and colleague in this venture, Betty Setterquist, as well as the current members of the Health Ministry committee: Amy Canady, Joe DiSanto, Karen DiSanto, Kay Gallogly, Chet Norstrom, Sherry Schlott, Betty Setterquist, and Fred Wendt.
As of February 1, 2008, Kay Gallogly has taken over as chair of the Health Ministry Committee. Thank you, Kay, for taking on this responsibility. I know that the committee is in good hands. May the Lord be with you.
Lee Olson